To the Editor:
Thanks for the interesting article “Mission Implausible: Southeast PDX Student Encourage Major Water Cost Savings, Saving PCC $1 Million.” That’s such a fantastic heart lifting story and I applaud Adam Holzschuh and Eric Brurud for thinking and coming up with some savings for PCC.
Here’s another way that PCC could save some money. The picture that accompanies the article shows a giant lawn that they’re standing in front of. Lawns to me seem like maintenance money misspent. Not to mention how much pesticides are used to keep that lawn green and weed free. Instead, I think PCC should aim to replant everywhere that it has lawns with native plants which will lead to less money spent on maintenance and also do a better job of supporting wildlife: insects, birds and mammals. Plus such a change could potentially provide food for student cafeterias and also offer opportunities for students to learn how to grow food. (Example: the food forests that Dan Sloan and PFFI are establishing around Portland which I read about in the same issue of The Southeast Examiner).
Thanks for an excellent newspaper,
Albert Kaufman
To the Editor:
Next time you are stopped at SE Powell Blvd. and SE Milwaukie Ave., picture what the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative is proposing.
Imagine hundreds of people daily arriving by foot, bike or bus—many carrying large bags of containers. They will cross busy traffic lanes, navigate incomplete sidewalks and dodge train traffic to reach the state’s first high-volume Alternative Access Redemption Center (AARC). This is already one of SE Portland’s most dangerous intersections. For vulnerable people who rely on canning for income, this setup is neither safe nor accessible.
Current estimates are that more than 30 million cans will pass through the site each year (2.5 million per month), with perhaps $10,000 in cash changing hands each day. We have seen what happens when cash-for-container redemptions are concentrated. Even minimal drug activity can quickly impact nearby businesses and neighbors. These are not abstract concerns; they’ve led to the planned closure of the Delta Park Bottle Drop this June and a major drug bust this week at the NE 122nd Ave. location.
This proposal also jeopardizes our neighborhoods’ hard work. The nearby Clinton Triangle Transitional Alternative Shelter Site serves over 200 residents working toward stability. Placing a major cash hub a few blocks away creates additional, unnecessary pressures that can undermine their progress.
Neighbors are not saying “no” to bottle redemption. We are asking for a safer location that works for everyone.
There are profound reasons why this site is unsuitable and no compelling ones to support it. Mayor Wilson should call on backers to suspend efforts at a site doomed for failure and instead identify a location that truly serves both canners and the community.
If you agree, learn more and sign the petition at change.org/p/a-better-location-for-all-find-a-more-suitable-location-for-the-people-s-depot.
Signers:
Linda Nettekoven
Neel Pender
Peggy McDaniel
Phil Keisling
Daniel Carr
Editor’s note: Letters to the Editor are to be less than 300 words. The Southeast Examiner reserves the right to edit for length or content.